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Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun

List Price: $12.95
Your Price: $9.71
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Looking for leadership guidance? Look elsewhere
Review: The title of this book is the only admirable quality to it. I mean, what a great concept. Unfortunately the book falls way short of providing any leadership "secrets" that are worth reading about. I have pursued the leadership thing for years, reading dozens of books and developing myself professionally through leadership positions, classes, and schools. Believe me, this has nothing to offer. And, no piece of information in the book is memorable. The only reason I looked at it in the first place was because of its catchy title.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: SHOW ME THE HUN-NY
Review: The title of this brief collection should have been "1970s leadership and Attila the Hun" This book has little to no factual quotes of Attila. Rather, the author twists Hun anecdotes around to force-fit his opinion on leadership. Granted, the author cleverly hides the massive canyon separating the two. Even worse is this books preaching of top-down management. Because of that, it can cause a big problem if put in the wrong hands. Especially because it is written at a sixth grade reading level and a quick read. If truth be told, this book gets a lot more attention than it deserves...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent
Review: This book is great, and to the point. Not a a bunch of drown out blah, blah, blah. Quick examples of lessons learned by Attila the Hun. Great to use when dealing with people.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Pretentious
Review: This book was entirely too pretentious to read. He should have tried to write in the active voice and with a reasonable vocabulary. I bought it used for less than a dollar plus shipping--I got wripped off.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Pathetic Piece of Drivel
Review: This is a truly superficial work. It is no wonder this book went through more than a dozen rejections before the author resorted to a vanity press outfit to get the initial copies out. I admire the author's tenacity in selling something so devoid of research (no bibliography) and so rich in platitudes about management. I almost expected a line such as "You can pick your enemies. You can pick your nose. But, you cannot pick your enemy's nose." It is understandable why business management types raved about this book. It's very short, easy to read, and full of fluff that they can use at meetings.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Rote advise, poor role model"
Review: This is a very good book on leadership, however, Attila was a bloodthirsty war-monger. The same leadership advise could have been used via a mascot such as Elmer Fudd, Mr. Rogers, Madonna, or anybody for that matter. Though the examples were lame, the premise is excellent. True in Attilas day as they are today--and will be in the future. Read this book between the lines and you will be satisfied.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A must-read for leaders and would-be leaders across society.
Review: Though the title may be off-putting for the politically correct-inclined, this is a well researched, well written presentation of some very sound philosophies. Leaders and would-be leaders throughout society can gain some valuable lessons and insights into common sense decision-making, conflict resolution, communication, discipline, example, and the will to be a leader. This is a work produced by a man of obvious skill and ability as a leader, who presents this phenomena of human behavior with knowledge and sound moral values. The book was recommended reading on my sergeant-majoer's course and now, as a Regimental Sergeant Major in the Canadian Forces, I keep my copy as a reference for myself and as a supporting example to others. Well done Mr. Roberts!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Do Not Waste Your Time: Low-Brow Business
Review: Well... where to begin??? Wess Roberts is really a good example of an initial interesting idea milked and warped to horrible proportions; neither the historical metaphor nor the advice he gleans from it really ascends above the line of a comic book. Read the "Economists" review of this book and their trashing of its author -- who appears to be rather less than he appears. I can add little except to say that I bought it in a rush in an airport and then after the first page I realised there was something terribly wrong with this book (it is written for about someone who has a 12 year old reading comprehension level).

If you are a person who sees the world in a Manichean world view of "good and evil"/ "us and them" then you may ultimately see some kind of value in this book. All research however indicates that a successful business relationship is formed on the basis of honesty, trust and committment to a win-win relationship with the client. Without that fundamental understanding business and corporations do not advance. Those companies that practise the Attila mindset will ultimately remain Neanderthals and will condemn themselves to always being small-time, cheesy presenters with a life time of believing in the simplistic explanations for complex behaviour.

I would have given it a 0 if I could have. This book has the distinction of not even being worthy to grace the shelves of my personal business library. Spend your money on Drucker or even Napolean Hill. You will get a better return.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Good Read!
Review: Wess Roberts draws on the life experiences of the leader of the Mongol hordes to craft imaginative monologues on leadership - an attribute as valuable today as when Attila united the Huns in 415 AD. The advice is general. Its effectiveness probably depends on how well you apply it, although the idea of a historic icon of barbaric vengeance counseling us in cultural sensitivity seems a bit of a stretch. While the treatment is certainly colorful, you might worry about ways some modern-day chieftains could misuse Roberts' principles to justify their own Visigoth approach to management. We from getAbstract recommend this book to those looking for new and interesting ways to approach the perpetual management issues of team-building, inspiring loyalty, setting goals, and achieving objectives.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Pretentious
Review: What a country this is! How else to explain this book? Take an historical figure about whom little is known, ascribe certain banalities about leadership to him, jazz it up with some colorful language, set it in a guidebook format with short chapters and lots of bullets--and sell huge numbers of copies! Get Ross Perot to endorse it!

This book cries out for a spoof--heck, it already seems like a spoof. I'm thinking of taking a few days to write "Leadership Secrets of Spongebob Squarepants" and see how it sells.


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